How Effective Is The Royal Prerogative?

An important site in the British Constitution, although far more important in the past than today, is the royal prerogative. The United Kingdom has a constitutional monarchy, not an absolute monarchy. This means that the monarchy is apolitical and impartial. The defining characteristic of the prerogative is that its exercise does not require the approval of Parliament.

A V Dicey defines the Royal prerogative as ‘the residue of discretionary or arbitrary authority, which at any given time is legally left in the hands of the Crown’. William Blackstone however describes the prerogative more tightly, as those powers that ‘the King enjoys alone, in contradistinction to others, and not to those he enjoys in common with any of his subjects’.

Barnett describes the prerogative today as ‘this ill defined reservoir of power’.
Royal Prerogative powers can be used to circumvent normal democratic process with no accountability, devaluing a parliamentary system.

Due to the history of Great Britain, it is law that Roman Catholics may not inherit the Crown. It is argued by Republicans that having an Anglican head of state is unrepresentative of a nation where only 4% of adults are practicing Anglicans.

Monarchs are not impartial but harbour their own opinions, motives and wish to protect their interests. While monarchists tend to feel that an impartial advantage is gained by various aspects of the civil service reporting to the Crown, republicans see a lack of important democratic accountability and transparency for such institutions.

The monarchy is expensive; the total cost to taxpayers, including hidden elements (eg, the Royal Protection security bill), of the monarchy are over £100 million per